For Those Who Seek The Night
by screwedupsk8rchick
Summary: Nightpaw is an unwavering soul. Born to one of the most noble Clan families, this apprentice is in for the ride of her life. Follow Nightpaw as she goes through pain, sorrow, excitement, and a little love.
1. Allegiances

BRIARCLAN.

LEADER. FAWNSTAR

DEPUTY. ASHENMASK

MEDICINE CAT. SHORTFOOT

apprentice, nightpaw

WARRIORS;

BERRYNOSE

DARKWISH

FLASHTALON

WHITEBERRY

LIGHTNINGFROST

BUGNOSE

HAZELTAIL

BRAMBLEHEART

FALCONSTRIKE

SHADOWMOON

APPRENTICES;

SHIVERPAW mentor: bugnose

WOLFPAW mentor: hazeltail

SILVERPAW mentor: darkwish

BEARPAW mentor: whiteberry

QUEENS;

BROWNHEART (tallkit, snowkit)

ELDERS;

BRACKENFIRE

BRINDLEDAWN

FERNCLAN.

LEADER. FLAMESTAR

DEPUTY. AMBERSTONE

MEDICINE CAT. BLACKHEART

WARRIORS;

MOUSEWHISKER

ONEHEART

DRIFTWIND

SOUNDECHO

RIVERMIST

LEMONFROST

BADGERCLAW

HAZELFLIGHT

HAWKTAIL

BRIGHTFUR

APPRENTICES;

DUSKPAW mentor: flamestar

ECHOPAW mentor: driftwind

POPPYPAW mentor: hawktail

QUEENS;

DAWNFLOWER (ravenkit, otterkit, cloudkit)

TALLPOPPY (cedarkit, mousekit, firekit, spiderkit)

ELDERS;

FINCHCLAW

WINDFUR


	2. Tragic Pleas And Remedies

Nightkit was perfect in every way imaginable. Not only in beauty, but in heart, bloodlines, and composure. You could trace her family back to some of the earliest and finest warriors ever to run in the forest. One day she would be there with her ancestors.

For many seasons the warriors in her family had been high in the ranks of the Clan, and highly looked upon for advice and support by the leader.

She had many generations of strong, loyal warriors and righteous, graceful medicine cats to look up to. Life just couldn't get any better, could it?

As for Nightkit herself… Well, it seemed no tom could resist her charm and beauty. She had silky and soft tabby fur, with jet black stripes running along her tail and flank. She had a completely white underbelly and paws. The black stripes bordered a white muzzle, all topped off with a black nose and stunning silver-blue eyes.

Of course, her Clan demanded much of Nightkit. The forest-setted camp of BriarClan was the perfect place to grow up, said her sisters, Shiverkit and Silverkit.

"C'mon, Nightkit, let's play!" whined Shiverkit on one bleary New-Leaf day.

"It's to hot," she would complain back, and continue grooming her pelt, still thick from the Leaf-Bare's cold. Shiverkit was always rambunctious and playful, most unlike herself. Silverkit was more of a stuck up cat, with a superior attitude. Nightkit was calmer, and more collected. And she desperately wanted to be a medicine cat.

"Now, darlings," said her mother one day, "play nicely."

"Yes, mama," they would all reply in unison and obedience. You see, their mother was different. Their mother was Fawnstar, leader of BriarClan. Kits had come as a huge surprise to Fawnstar and Falconstrike, but both of Nightkit's parents cherished their kits to no end.

Nightkit sniffed arrogantly at her littermates, and received a small ear cuff form Silverkit.

"Only joking!" she shrieked back, tumbling her sister over. They began to play fight in the warm sunshine, savoring the warmth.

Two moons had passed since that first New-Leaf day, and Nightkit and her sisters had finally reached the age of six moons. Their mother was no where to be seen, but Falconstrike emerged from the warrior's den to groom his daughters before the ceremony. Not far behind them Whiteberry, another queen, was frantically grooming her own kits, Wolfkit and Bearkit, preparing for their ceremonies.

The silence was bearing down upon Nightkit, and it made her uneasy. The murmured protests of Bearkit and Wolfkit were subdued in the background, making the whole scene more homey.

"Falconstrike?" Nightkit asked quietly, padding over to where he was grooming Shiverkit.

"Yes, Nightkit? What is it?" said her father, looking distracted. His attention was on the Highrock.

"Do you think I'll get my chance to be a medicine cat?"

"Is that what you truly want, little one?"

"Of course."

"Then Fawnstar will give you that chance. I promise." Nightkit purred, rubbing against Falconstrike.

"Alright, alright, Fawnstar's calling the Clan now. Come alone, Shiverkit, Silverkit."

"And Nightkit, my final daughter." Fawnstar's fluid voice filled the clearing. Bearkit and Wolfkit were to first to be apprenticed, soon followed by Silverkit, the eldest. Then Shiverkit. Now, finally, it was Nightkit's turn.

"My daughter has chosen to walk the path laid down by our ancestors in StarClan. That path is one of a medicine cat. Shortfoot," Fawnstar paused in midsentence, looking in the direction of the black-and-white tom. "Will you take on Nightkit as your apprentice, to teach her the sacred ways of healing and speaking with our ancestors?"

Shortfoot stepped out from the crowd. Her bowed his white head. It looked quite odd, with only one black ear on his head, Nightkit noted.

"I will take on Nightkit," Shortfoot meowed in a rustic, deep voice. It was oddly soothing, as if anything the tom said would come true. It would always be alright as long as Shortfoot said so… "I will train her and care for her as a daughter, Fawnstar."

"Then may StarClan light your path," Nightkit's mother murmured, her eyes alight with the pure joy of her daughter being accepted as a full medicine cat apprentice.

"Until this cat earns her full medicine cat name, she will be called Nightpaw." The cats in the clearing gave a yowl of approvement.

Nightpaw bounded forward. She smiled, and dipped her head as Shortfoot approached.

"Now, young Nightpaw, I won't accept that kind of formality if you're to be my apprentice," Shortfoot said with a chuckle. As she touched noses with her new mentor, she knew it was going to be a wonderful life.

Stepping back into the crowd with her sisters, she gave them a sly smile. Shiverkit- Shiver_paw_, Nightpaw noticed, was standing next to a burly-looking tom. This was Bugnose, her mentor. Although one of the most powerful cats in the Clan, he was also one of the kindest.

_The gentle giant,_ she thought.

Her other sister, Silverpaw, was beside Darkwish, a dark brown she-cat with black stripes.

"Alright, cats, on with your day." Fawnstar sounded extremely happy. This was a day to remember.

Ashenmask started sending out the sunhigh patrols, and organized hunting sessions.

Whiteberry and Bugnose decided to take Shiverpaw and Bearpaw out heading north to explore the territory, and Darkwish and Hazeltail went south with Wolfpaw and Silverpaw.

Nightpaw watched her siblings go with a slight trace of envy. She wanted to explore the forest, too! Instead she sat quietly beside Shortfoot as he momentarily conversed with a tom named Shadowmoon. His mate, Brownheart, was pregnant with his kits, and due any time soon.

"So you're sure she'll be alright?" Shadowmoon asked anxiously as Shortfoot returned to Nightpaw. "What if the kits come early?"

Shortfoot chuckled in his calm, collected way. "Then they'll come early. Now I suggest you go get some sleep, Shadowmoon, before you pace from here to StarClan!" Shortfoot turned abruptly and strode off towards his den. Shadowmoon raised a paw as if he wanted to go after him, then looked to Nightpaw.

Shadowmoon looked over her, and smiled. Something flickered in his eyes. Just a shadow of a doubt. But it was there. Then it was gone.

"Shortfoot is a good cat, you know," he meowed, pacing towards her. He sat about a tail-length away and smiled. "He's lucky to mentor you."

Nightpaw nodded and smiled. "I-I've wanted this my whole life, Shadowmoon. Now I finally have it. I'm a _medicine cat apprentice_!"

Shadowmoon nodded. "I expect great things of you, Nightpaw, great things…" He trailed away, heading for the underbrush that was the warrior's den. Nightpaw sighed, but couldn't get that look he gave her out of her mind. What flashed in the warrior's eyes? Nightpaw didn't know, and thought she might not want to know.

She slunk after Shortfoot, whirls of confusion and emotions swimming in her mind.

"Now, say a cat had a chill. What would you use to treat them?" It had been almost a moon since Nightpaw had become Shortfoot's apprentice. Training was vigorous, but Nightpaw loved every second of it. Not only that, but she was good at it, too.

"Uhm, well, first you'd get some water-soaked moss for them. Press it against their flank and forehead to try and diminish any fever the cat may have. Then feed the cat some feverfew in a poultice with chervil for bellyache, definitely tansy for the cough, then some poppy seeds for a good night's sleep," Nightpaw concluded.

Shortfoot looked astounded. Nightpaw blinked, also. "Very good, Nightpaw, very good…" His eyes grazed over her, as if trying to find out how she knew all that.

Nightpaw blushed heartily, then looked back to her mentor. She opened her mouth to speak when Shadowmoon burst through the fronds. "It's Brownheart!" he meowed frantically, eyed wide with shock. "The kits are coming, and it's not going well at all!"


End file.
